1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable or cordless telephone apparatus, and more particularly to an improvement in the cover structure thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As well as two way communication between fixed points, mobile communications, which includes two way communication between a freely movable mobile station and a fixed point, and between two mobile stations, is currently undergoing expansion. Portable telephones or cordless type telephones (referred to below simply as portable telephones) are used as devices for carrying out this mobile communication.
These will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) of the accompanying drawings. (International Laid-open WO 91/13507, U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,873) FIG. 1(a) is a front view of a prior art portable telephone apparatus, and FIG. 1(b) is a side view of the same portable telephone apparatus. Here, in the telephone apparatus main body 2, a speaker 4 is provided in the upper end portion to output the voice of a remote party, and in a lower portion, a microphone 10 is provided for receiving the user's voice and sending it as a signal to the remote party. In the middle portion of the telephone apparatus main body 2, an indication portion 6, consisting of a liquid crystal type display, and an operating portion 9 are provided. This operating portion 9 consists of dial keys 7, having a dialing function, and option keys 8 having communicating functions other than the dialing function.
An antenna 12, for communication by sending and receiving radio waves, is shown in the middle of the diagram. 14 is a cover which is held in a rotatable manner at one end of the upper portion of the telephone apparatus main body, and when communication is not required, to prevent erroneous or accidental operation, by closing the side of the telephone apparatus, the operating portion is concealed. As can be seen from the drawing, when this cover 14 is open, it functions as a kind of sound accumulating board for the microphone.
In the above mentioned portable telephone apparatus, in order to prevent accidental or erroneous operation when not making a call on the telephone, the user closes the cover 14, puts it in his jacket pocket or bag and carries it with him. Then, external phone calls are received, and when such calls are received by the portable telephone apparatus, the portable telephone apparatus makes the receipt known to the user by issuing a calling alarm. The user then removes the telephone from wherever it was placed, a jacket pocket or bag, and by opening the cover 14, presses one of the option keys, either the receive or respond key. If the respond key is pressed, the portable telephone enters the communicating state, and the user can speak with the remote party who placed the call.
With the prior art portable telephone constructed as shown above, the following problems were encountered.
That is, as previously explained, with the above mentioned portable telephone apparatus, when not being used for a call, because the cover 14 is closed and the apparatus is stored away, when a call is received, the user takes the telephone from his bag or pocket, and unless the cover 14 is opened again, a desired respond or receive operation cannot be carried out, which means that this operation caused problems in an emergency.
Also, unless the respond or hold key is pressed, the calling alarm sound will generally continue ringing. As a result, for example, if the user is the middle of a meeting or such when a call is received, because of concern toward other people present he rushes the respond operation, and as a result there was a possibility of erroneous operation or damage to the portable telephone occurring. Further, in the case where the user receives a call while he is driving a vehicle, because the respond operation is troublesome, there was also the possibility that the user's safety is impaired.